Apparatus for grinding rails, especially frog noses and wing rails in switches and crossings



Apnl 16, 1968 H. SCHNYDER 3,377,751

APPARATUS FOR GRINDING RAILS, ESPECIALLY FROG NOSES AND WING RAILS IN SWITCHES AND CROSSINGS Filed Sept. 8, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVENTOR 3,377,751 OSES Aprifl I6, 1968 H. SCHNYDER APPARATUS FOR GRINDING RAILS, ESPECIALLY FROG N AND WING RAILS IN SWITCHES AND CROSSINGS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1) Filed Sept. H, 1965 I wm hul l I l I I I IIIIL April 16, 1968 H. SCHNYDER 337K751 APPARATUS FOR GRINDING RAILS, ESPECIALLY FROG NOSES AND WING RAILS IN SWITCHES AND CROSSINGS Filed Sept. 8, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 v INVENTOR fi/"zs fla/Ezydeg I f g ATTORNEY April 16, 1968 H. SCHNYDER 3,377,751

APPARATUS FOR GRINDING RAILS, ESPECIALLY FROG NOSES AND WING RAILS IN SWITCHES AND CROSSINGS Filed Sept. 8, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR United States Patent M 4 Claims. (Cl. 51--178) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for grinding rails, particularly frog noses and wing rails, in connection with switches and crossover tracks in which a frame is provided with a grinding unit positively movable along the rails and having a slide on the frame with means to vertically adjust the grinding unit and a template on the frame to guide the unit on the rails.

This application is a continuation-in-part of prior application Ser. No. 260,971, filed Feb. 26, 1963, and now abandoned.

This invention relates to an apparatus for grinding rails, especially frog noses and wing rails of switches and crossover rails, whereby a grinding machine guided on a frame is positively moved along the rails.

Rails, worn down or damaged in places, are repaired by building up the steel depressions. Subsequent grinding of the rails are repaired by renewing the outer contour of the standard rail profile, the chamfering down of the frog nose, the superelevation of the wing rails and the leveling of frog and wing rails.

In the aforementioned apparatus as known heretofore, the grinding machine is guided by means of a frame on a carrier rail mounted between the track rails and moved therealong. Thereby, the carrier rail serves to carry and laterally gmide the grinding machine. The grinding wheel with motor may be turned through 90 degrees and by screw spindles to be placed onto the profile of the rail to be ground. Chamfering down the frog noses is accomplished by one-sided raising of the carrier rail.

Experience has shown that, owing to the time required for accurately building in the carrier rail, further owing to the time which must be used for adjusting the grinding machine according to the rail profile and for adjusting the grinding machine according to the chamfer desired as well as for readjustin-g the apparatus after removal and building-in in case of an interruption of work caused by the passage of trains over the rails, a very long grinding time is required and thus, the costs for the grinding work are quite high.

The economy of the known apparatus is further questionable, owing to the low approach and the low grinding depth from lack of adequate support between the carrier rail and the grinding machine guided thereon. One essential drawback of the conventional apparatus is seen in that the carrier rail supporting the entire grinding machine with its frame, is subject to a great bending stress, and serves at the same time for guiding the grinding machine. This means that the carrier rail must be rather large in order to provide a moreor-less suitable employment as a vertical guide for the grinding machine.

The present invention has for its object to create an apparatus in which the aforementioned drawbacks are obviated.

According to the invention, the apparatus is princi- 70 pally characterized in that a slide movable along the rails is guided on a frame, with said slide being arranged 3,377,751 Patented Apr. 16, 1968 so that the grinding machine is vertically adjustable with respect thereto, and such adjustment is accomplished by causing the grinding machine to trace a template.

Further features of the invention will appear from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein there is shown, purely by way of example, one preferred form of the apparatus incorporating the invention.

In said annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the entire apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the hydraulic system of the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the entire apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the entire apparatus;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation of the apparatus;

FIG. 6 is a side view partly in section showing a part of the frame;

FIG. 7 is a section of a part of the frame;

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section of the slide with the grinding machine;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the slide;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the pivoted grinding machine as seen in the direction of the arrow A of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a side view showing the upper part of the slide with a feeler for the template;

FIG. 12 is a side View of a valve showing the operation for the adjustable grinding machine;

FIG. 13 is a side view partly in section showing a part of the frame with the template;

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of the slide with the motor and pump for the hydraulic system;

FIGS. 15 and 16 are sections showing diagrammatically a feeler of the grinding machine on a template when grinding a depression and a super-elevation respectively; and

FIG. 17 is a side View of the link guide and slide.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the frame of the apparatus comprises two bearing arms 2 disposed transverse to the track rail 1. The bearing arms 2 are identical in design and stand with their upper horizontal part 3 as the mirror image of each other. Each bearing arm 2 consists of two bent pipes 4 which are connected to each other by a square bar 5, each pipe supported with its vertical part 6 in a bearing bush 7. Said bearing bushes are mounted on a profiled rail 8, which, by means of clamping plates 9, are arranged under the track rail 1 on the ground or ballast. The bearing bushes 7 have a locking means (not shown) for the pipe part 6 pushed thereinto, and this locking means may be released by operating a swing lever 10, FIG. 6, in the direction of the arrows 11. The bearing arms 2 may then be removed upwardly in the direction of the arrow 12. The arms 2 project over the rail 1 both in the transverse and in the longitudinal directions and are interconnected by means of two parallel carrier rails 13. The latter are displaceably guided in drop-hanger bearings 14 in the direction of the arrow 22, FIG. 6. Said bearings 14 are swivably mounted on the bearing arm 2 in the direction of the arrow 18 and are displaceable by means of a square sleeve 16 along the square or round bar 5 in the direction of the arrow 17, FIG. 7.

A clamping screw 1& serves for fixing the sleeve 16. The carrier rails 13 are displaceable in recesses 20, FIG. 13, of said bearing 14 and are fixable thereto by means of an eccentric lever 21, FIG. 7. Because of the displacement in the direction of the arrows 17 and 22, the parallel carrier rails 13 are movable Within their horizontal plane.

The carrier rails 13 each consists of a sheet-iron channel 23 of box-type profile and a tubular guide 25, FIG. 6, fixed thereto by means of webs 24. The tubular guides 25 extend Within the sheet-iron channels and parallel thereto and they are made of hardened steel and serve for guiding a slide 26 manually displaceable in the direction of the arrow 22, FIGS. 1, 5, 6, 10.

Slide 26 serves for supporting and laterally guiding a grinding machine or grinder 28, FIG. 8, and at the same time as'an oil tank for the hydraulic system used for controlling the grinder. Slide 26 includes two cross-webs 29 and a longitudinal web 38. This substantially H-sectioned slide is designed as a hollow body. Said crosswebs 29 have slotted bearing eyes 31 with which slide 26 is supported on said tubular guides 25. Slide 26 is displaceable over the entire length of said guides 25, since the webs 24 run within the slots 32 of the bearing eyes 31. Crosswebs 29 of slide 26 have arranged thereon an electric motor 33, FIG. 14, and a pump 34 for the hydraulic system, FIG. 2. Slide 26 has the grinder 28 adjustably disposed thereon, FIG. 8.

The grinder comprises a grinding motor 35 with the grinding wheel 36, further a guide stirrup 37, FIG. 8,

and link-guides 38, FIG. 10, arranged between stirrup 37 and motor 35. Stirrup 37 comprises two vertical rods 39 which are displaceably supported in slide 26 in the direction of the arrows 46, FIG. 8. The two rods 39, FIGS. 8 and 9, are connected by means of a web 41. A piston 42 of a setting motor 97 arranged on stirrup 37 adjusts the latter with respect to slide 26. The cylinder 43, including the piston rod, is attached to the longitudinal web 30 of the slide 26, FIG. 8.

The two bearing plates 44 of said rods 39 each have pivoted thereto two equally long rockers or links 45 and 46 at locations C and D, FIG. 10. Both rockers 45 and 46 are pivoted to a substantially V-shaped rocker arm 47 at locations E and F. Rocker 47 has pivotally mounted thereon the electric motor 35 at location G, FIG. 10.

In order to swivel the electric motor 35 with the grinding wheel 36 through 90, motor 35 and rocker 4-5 have hinged thereto a further link 48. The thus pivoted grinder 28 works with its wheel 36 by swiveling in the direction of the arrow 55, FIG. 10, about half the outer contour of the profile of rail 1 to be ground, FIGS. 1 and 10. In order to always grind the proper rail-profile in spite of wear of wheel 36, the distance of the pivot G from the grinding face of wheel 36 must invariably remain the same. This is accomplished, for example, by a rotor of the motor 35 being axially adjustable by means of a handcrank 27, so that wheel 36 can be adjusted in the direction of the arrow 118, FIG. 10. Instead of a displaceable rotor, a pin 119 fixed to the motor 35 may be displaceable within an oblong hole in a plate 120. Rocker 47 and link 48 are then pivoted to plate 126.

One bearing plate 44 of rod 39, FIG. 17, is extended to an arm 50 which has pivoted thereto a hydraulically operated adjusting motor 51. Rocker 46 likewise is extended to a lever 52 having the piston rod 53 hinged thereto. As the motor 51 works in the direction of the arrow 54, the link-guide 38 is driven, and the wheel 36 grinds the rail 1 in the direction of the arrow 55, FIG. 10.

The maximum length of the curve ground by the wheel 36 is limited by the path of the piston rod 53, FIG. 17. Within the maximum length of the curve any desired curve length may be ground by means of the control according to FIG. 17. Both the curve length and the position of the part-curve piece may be altered. Bearing plate 44, which already has the arm 50 for the motor 5-1, has arranged thereon another arm 56, FIG. 17. The driven rocker 46 has a screw-threaded spindle 57 non-rotatably hinged thereto. Threadedly engageable with spindle 57 is a shaft 58 having an external thread 59 and a handcrank 60. By means of said handcrank the shaft 58 is screwed up to spindle 5-7. Shaft 58 carries a collar 61, and on shaft 58 there is threaded a nut 79. Shaft 58 has displ'aceably mounted thereon the hub 62 of a toggle linkage 63. Interposed between the hub 62 and collar 61 is a helical compression spring 64. One leg 65 of said toggle linkage is pivoted to a switch rod 66 and the other leg 67 to the arm 56. Switch rod 66, which is vertically displace'ably supported in arm 56, carries two switch actu'ators 68 and 69. Said switch rod 66 has further arranged thereon, a tension spring 70 fixed to the arm 56 and the latter has attached thereto a double valve 73 including two valve stems 71 and 72. As the motor 51 works in the direction of the arrow 54, the switch actuators 68 and 69 'are caused to move in the direction of the arrow 74 and to act alternately upon the valve stems 71 and 72. Actuation of valve 73 causes the setting motor to change over, that is the oil flowing in the pipes 75-78 actuates the piston rod 53 in the other direction (FIGS. 2 and 17). By reason of the spring 70 the hub 62 of the toggle linkage may be displaced to the stop at collar 61 or by the Spring 64 and nut 79 on shaft 58. Reversal of the toggle linkage 63 beyond its dead point into the other collapsed position is brought about by collar 61 and nut 79 upon actuation of lever 52, FIG. 17. The curve length ground by the wheel 36- is defined each time by the distance between collar 61 and adjustable nut 79. The position of the curve length ground each time within the maximum length of the curve to be described by wheel 36, is set by screwing shaft 58 on threaded spindle 57 by means of handcrank 60.

The swiveling movement of the grinder is thus effected by'the link-guide 38 driven by the setting motor 51. The height adjustment of the link guide 38 together with the grinder 28 corresponding to the charnfering down of the frog noses as well as to the superelevation of the wing rails, takes place by causing the guide stirrup 37, FIG. 8, to trace a template 80, FIGS. 1, ll, 13 and 15.

At the web 41 of the guide stirrup '37, a switch rod 82 is pivotally supported in each of two bearing blocks 81, FIGS. 2, 8, 1 and 11. Each switch rod 82 carries at one end a cam 83 and at the other end a rocker arm 84.

Each rocker arm 84- carries a roller 85, FIG. 11. Said rocker arms 84 are mirror images of each other and interconnected by a tension spring 86. By means of the tension spring 86 the rollers 85 are urged upwards onto the template '88. The distance apart of the rollers 85 from each other through the axes of the switch rod 82 is equal to the diameter of the grinding wheel 36. Template is supported vertically adjustable on drop-hanger-bearings '14, FIGS. 7 and 13. Template 80 comprises a plurality of exchangeable substantially T-shaped insert pieces with the single pieces forming together in their lengths the template 80, being inserted in a T-shaped recess 87 of a rail 88. Within rail 88 a nut is arranged for lengthwise displacement and this nut is threadedly engaged by a screw-threaded spindle 121, FIG. 13. By means of a handcrank 123, said spindle v121 can be screwed into a projection 122 arranged on the drop-hanger bearing 14. Template 80 is thus vertically adjustable and upon the rail 88 being permanently placed in the drop-hanger hearing .14, various pieces forming a template 80 may therefore be inserted according to the shape of the chamfering or superelevation of the frog nose and wing rail to be ground.

If the slide 26 is moved along the tubular guides 25, the two rollers will slide along the template 80, FIGS. 11 and 15, and the two cams 83 are rocked in the direction of the arrow 89, FIGS. 1, 2 and 11. By means of said cams '83, the levers 90 pivoted on web 41 are caused to act upon the valves 91-94, FIGS. 2 and 12. The two levers 90 lie on cam 83 and on the valve stems 95 and 96, FIG. 12. Already 'a slight turn of the cam 83 causes one valve to actuate, and the lever 90 associated with the other non-actuated valve remains at rest and always lies on its valve stem and on cam 83.

The output of the setting motor 97 is controlled by means of the valves 91-94. In the hydraulic system the two valves 92, and 93 are connected in parallel, and the two valves '91 and 94- in series, FIG. 2. If a valve 92 or 93 is operated, or both valves 92 and 93 together, the oil delivered by the pump 34 flows through pipes 98-101 at both sides into the setting motor 97, and the grinder 28 is set higher owing to the larger face of the piston. If a valve 91 or 94 is actuated, the oil cannot drain from the setting motor 97 through pipes 100, 102 and 103 into the oil tank 26, as in this pipe system there is still a closed valve 91 or 94. Only when both valves 91 and 94 are actuated, does the oil fiow through pipes .100, 102 and 103 from the setting motor 97 into tank 260, and the grinder is lowered because of the oil pressure in pipe 101.

FIG. 15 illustrates diagrammatically how the grinder 28 traces the template 80 by means of rollers 85 when grinding a depression. If the slide 26 with grinder 28 and wheel 36 is moved up to the run of 'a roller 85 onto the rising slope 105 of the template, said roller either by valve 91 or 94 will be actuated according as to whether the slide 26 is displaced in the direction of the arrow 104 or in the direction of the arrow 107, FIG. 15. By the series-connection of the valves 91 and 94, when a roller 85 runs onto the slope 105, the grinding wheel 36 is not yet lowered and only when the slide 26 is moved further through the diameter does the second roller 85 run onto the slope 105, and the grinding wheel 36 is lowered and grinds the depression 106 in track rail 1. The slope 105 thereby reaches to the end of the frog nose of rail 1, and then the slope 5 again goes over in a horizontal plane (not shown) whereby, upon closure of the two valves 91 and 94, the downward adjustment of the grinder is ended.

If the slide 26 with the grinding wheel 36 is displaced until a roller 85 runs off the inclination 108, by said roller either valve 92 or 93 will be actuated, FIGS. 16 and 2. If the wheel 36 moves in the direction of the arrow 109, for instance valve 92 is actuated, and if wheel 36 is displaced in the direction of the arrow 110 to an inclination (not shown), valve 93 is actuated. Since the two valves 92 and 93 are connected in parallel, operation of one valve alone causes actuation of the setting motor 97, and the grinding wheel 36 is raised and grinds the superelevation 111, FIG. 15.

In the hydraulic system according to FIG. 2, with the pump 34, there is provided a pressure reduction valve 112, by means of which the oil pressure acting in setting motor 97 may be altered. Another pressure reduction valve 113 serves for changing the pressure acting in the setting motor 51. If the setting motors 51 and 97 are not working, the hydraulic oil will be delivered from the pump 34 through the two valves 112 and 113 into the drain pipe 114. In the two setting motors 97 and 51, the piston face that has the piston rod thereon, is always loaded with oil pressure, and when the setting motors are working, this oil pressure acts upon the large face of the pistons. If the stem 71 of valve 73 is actuated, one piston chamber is connected to drain pipe 75, and the piston moves with piston rod 53 into the righthand end position (FIG. 2). If the stem 72 of valve 73 is actuated, the oil pressure acts through pipe 78 upon the larger piston face, and the piston with piston rod 53 is moved into the lefthand end position. In order that, when the setting motor 51 is working, that is with the swing of the grinder 28 in the direction of the arrow 55, FIG. 1, the grinder can be stopped at any time in any place, after the pipes 76 and 77 a handoperated valve 124 is fitted, FIG. 2. With the valve 124 closed, the piston rod 53 is fixed in its position.

In case of an interruption of work as caused by a train running on the rails, the whole apparatus can be removed by two men, in that the electric connection 115, FIG. 1, together with the bearing bush 7 are loosened by means of the handle 10, FIG. 6, and the whole apparatus is carried away. The bearing bushes 7 and the switchbox 116 are lower than the rail 1 and remain unchanged on the track. When work is resumed, the grinder is replaced in the bearing bushes and the grinding work may be continued without readjustment of the template 80. Since the grinding wheel 36 can be swiveled only through 90 degrees, but the swivel angle for grinding the rail profile requires 180 degrees, first one side of the track rail 1 is ground, and then the grinder 28 is turned round. This is effected either by changing-over the whole unit or by turning the slide 26.

The grinder 28 traced the template at two places 85, which permits the grinding of rail 1, both with a reciprocatory movement of the slid-e 28 as well as on turning the unit 28 for grinding the other profile side of rail 1. Since the grinder 28 with the link-guide 38 and drive 51 together with slide 26 are supported by carrier rails 13, any faulty position of the carrier rails because of flexure, torsion, vibration, etc., is rectified by reason of the hydraulic readjustment of the unit 28 with respect to the slide 26. The template 80, free from any load from outside, can be well and accurately supported and provides an exact invariable vertical guide of the unit 28.

For grinding the rails, a plastic-bonded flat wheel with woven insert has proved particularly satisfactory which, with its diameter of about 230 mm. runs at approximately 6,000 rpm. When grinding a 'frog nose with a horizontal grinding wheel, a wheel of about 80 mm. in diameter must be used, in order to prevent the wheel, lying lower than the wing rails because of the depression, from contacting the wing rails. In order that the tracing of the template 80 may then proceed by means of both rollers 85, FIGS. 15 and 16, the distance between the two rollers must be altered by displacing the rollers in the bore 117, FIG. 11.

By means of the grinding machine according to the instant invention a working true to drawing, with good grinding quality, is achieved. Thereby the whole working time, consisting of preparation and then grinding work, is appreciably shorter than the time which hitherto was required with the grinding methods known heretofore.

Alternatively, the slide 26 may be displaced along the tubular guides 25 by means of a positive drive. For this purpose, say, the sheet-iron channel 23 is provided with a rack, and a pinion with the slide 26 driven by an additional motor rolls on the rack.

The requirement, that the distance between the rollers 85 must be equal to the diameter of the grinding wheel each time it is used, may be considered an advantage when grinding the chamfering of frog noses, hence when grinding with the wheel of 80 mm. in diameter, the distance apart of the rollers 85 is chosen larger than 80 mm. In this case, the setting motor 97 starts to work somewhat before the grinding wheel reaches the supereleva-tion 111, FIG. 16, or the setting mot-or works: somewhat later, after the grinding wheel has run off over the start of the inclination 106, FIG. 15. In such cases, an inclination and superelevation when grinding a chamfering on frog noses is ground along the line 125.

As the side profile of the frog noses has previously been ground with the big wheel 36 according to the standardized rail profile, only the upper curvature of the frog noses is ground with the 80 mm. wheel, resulting in a more curved top side of the chamfering of the frog nose. This somewhat more pronounced curvature may appreciably increase the durability of the frog nose.

It is apparent that difierent embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and, therefore, it is not intended to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for grinding rails, particularly of frog noses and wing rails in switches and cross-over rails comprising a stationary frame having a template arranged thereon, guide means on the frame, a slide displaceably guided along the rails by said guide means, a grinding unit on the slide vertically displaceable relative to the slide, and means for vertically displacing the grinding unit relative to the slide and responsive to means contacting the template.

2. Apparatus for grinding rails according to claim 1, in which two bearing arms are provided as a part of the frame and disposed transverse to the rails, and in which guide bars are provided for the slide with the bearing arms interconnected with the guide bars for the slide.

3. Apparatus for grinding rails according to claim 1 in which a hydraulic system is provided with a motor connected for vertical displacement of the grinding unit relative to the slide.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which tracers are provided spaced one from each other for feeling the template, each of the tracers being movably connected with valves in a hydraulic piping system and the valves serving to control the flow of the hydraulic fluid in a hydraulic motor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS LESTER M. SWINGLE, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT C. RIORDON, Examiner.

I. A. MATHEWS, Assistant Examiner. 

